1. The Commonwealth of Australia
Government

2. GDP & E.Q.
SS6CG7a. Describe the federal parliamentary democracy of Australia, distinguishing form of leadership, type of legislature, and the role of the citizen in terms of voting and personal freedoms.

3. Australia has a.. Federal Parliamentary Democracy:
power is split between the central & local government (central handles treaties & defense, local handles education & state police)
citizens vote for members of Parliament

4. Australia has 6 states – from 6 original colonies
2 territories – land not claimed by states – can’t pass laws
A constitution which grants rights to states & central gov’t
National capital: Canberra

5. How Parliamentary Democracy works in Australia
All citizens 18 & older MUST vote or get fined and go to court.

6. Parliament Makes Laws Parliament is divided into 2 houses
House of Representatives
Senate
Australia is divided into electorates, each with about the same number of people.
Citizens of each electorate choose 1 person to represent them in the House of Representatives
Citizens choose 12 senators per state & territory for Senate

7. House of Representatives
The winning political party becomes the Government.
It chooses the prime minister, who recommends a “governor general” to the Queen to represent her in Australia
The political party with the 2nd highest number of people in Parliament is called the Opposition.

8. Head of State vs. Head of Government
Queen Elizabeth II of England
Signs laws
Commander in chief of military
(Governor General does her jobs)
Prime Minister
Most powerful political figure in Australia
Runs the government
Julia Gillard

9. How
A representative suggests a new law (called a bill) A
In the House of Representatives, the bill is explained, discussed & changed
Bill
If the representatives pass the bill, it goes to the Senate
Becomes
If the Senate passes the bill, it becomes an ACT of PARLIAMENT
A LAW
The Governor General signs the Act & it becomes a law that must be obeyed

10. School Nurses and Diabetes Care
The House Health and Human Services Committee met today and passed Diabetes-related legislation with implications on k-12 schools. HB 879 seeks to mandate that at least two employees at all schools where students with diabetes are enrolled, prior to the school year, receive special training on diabetes care. The legislation also mandates that at least one employee with such training accompany children with diabetes on any school field trip. Committee members expressed concern that the legislation, though very well intentioned, may create legal and logistical problems for schools. The committee passed the legislation, and its sponsor, Rep. Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City), whose school-aged daughter is diabetic, agreed to continue to work on some of the problematic portions of the bill. 

11. Citizens’ Freedoms
Speech
Religion
To choose a job
To travel
To vote

12. Economics in Australia
Mixed mostly market economy
One of freest in world (more than the U.S.)
Easy to start a business
Currency is Australian dollar
Low tariffs (just to help wheat & other grain farmers)
Few trade barriers
1998 Weapons Embargo against Yugoslavia – to help end fighting there

13. Capital and GDP Australia invests in Has a high GDP as a result
human capital
Compulsory education ages 6-18
Paid by taxpayers
High literacy rate
Well-trained work force
Good health care
One of highest standards of living in the world
Physical capital
Has advanced technology
Has a high GDP as a result

14. Australia’s Resources
Resources: things that help people produce goods & services (human, capital, & natural)
Natural – “gifts of nature”
Fertile soil (arable)
Crops
Cattle
Water
Minerals
Coal
Bauxite (aluminum)
Diamonds

15. Sales from natural resources bring in money from around the world.
1/3 of exports go to China and Japan

16. 1 in every 12 adults owns his/her own business
Australia is a world leader in entrepreneurs (people who start businesses).
1 in every 12 adults owns his/her own business
Good laws
Good resources
Educated well-trained workforce
Wealth to start business

17. Entrepreneurs help Australia’s GDP
Businesses keep economy growing
Provide jobs for workers
When businesses make a profit, they pay taxes that keep the gov’t in operation

18. Origin & Culture of the Aborigines
Indigenous people of Australia – lived here at least 40,000 years
Came from SE Asia when Australia, Tasmania, & New Guinea were one landmass
Aborigine means “people who were here from the beginning”

19. Nomadic hunters & gatherers
Created earliest rock art, boomerangs, ground axes, & grindstones
Passed history along through story-telling
Lived where climate & water were best

20. Religious structure was divided into 2 “moieties” (groups).
A person was born into a moiety and stayed there all his life.
A person in 1 moiety had to marry a person in the other moiety.

21. Traditional social structure: tribe or language group of about 500 people
Included bands of people, called hordes

22. Then The Europeans Arrived
1606 – 1st Europeans arrived
1770 – Captain Cook from England claimed E. coast of Australia for England – called it New South Wales

23. After Revolutionary War between U. S
After Revolutionary War between U.S. and England, England couldn’t dump prisoners in Georgia.
England dumped prisoners in “New South Wales” (Australia) instead from
Many free immigrants came to Australia, too.

24. Great Britain used Australia as a navy and trading base
It wanted to keep France from getting Australia
By 1861, the colonies’ boundaries were laid out
1/1/1901: Commonwealth of Australia – independent from U.K.
Capital is Canberra

25. Impact of Europeans on Aborigines
Took land, water, & fisheries from Aborigines
Brought diseases like smallpox – ½ of Aborigines died
Shot or forced Aborigines to leave

26. Aborigines fought back – when gold rush caused even more settlers to arrive, Aborigines killed their cattle & sheep. Europeans killed Aborigines in response
Ranchers asked surviving Aborigines to work on their farms